The Miraculous Files
by McMousie
Summary: Adrien moves to Japan and Hawkmoth appears. Yusuke and his friends are caught in the crossfire.
1. Chapter 1: Green With Envy

Marinette was almost out the door of her parents' bakery when a shout stopped her.

"Marinette! Don't forget this!" Her father shoved a large box into her arms as she turned. Marinette squeaked and juggled it frantically for a moment before getting a good hold on it. She sighed in relief.

Her father gave her a knowing and amused smile. "Have a nice day at school, honey," he told her.

"Thanks, Dad." Marinette gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off, leaving her father standing in the doorway. She glanced back once to see him waving at her with a fond smile on his face.

When she reached the crosswalk, she had to step hastily back off the road when a car almost mowed her down.

However, as the car passed her, she was horrified to see that an old man with a cane was slowly making his way across the road. She hurried out onto the road and pulled him across before another car could come roaring through. It was peak hour and even though pedestrians should have the right of way, not many motorists respected the rule.

"Thank you, Miss," the man said in relief. He then glanced down at her feet. "Oh, what a disaster."

Marinette let out a squeak. "Oh, no," she exclaimed when she saw that she had dropped the box and many of the cakes her parents had lovingly made her were ruined from the fall.

"I'm so sorry," the man said kindly.

Marinette shook her head vigorously. "No, no, it's fine," she assured him. "I'm no stranger to disasters. Besides, some of them are still all right. See?" She handed him one of the intact cakes.

"Mmm! Delicious," he said happily after taking a large bite.

Suddenly, Marinette heard the school bell ringing from across the street.

"Oh, no! I'm going to be late for school! Have a nice day, sir!" Marinette said. She hurried across the road, leaving the man on the sidewalk.

Master Fu smirked to himself as he held an empty box in his hands. A box that had, up until several seconds ago, contained a pair of very special earrings. "Thank you very much, young lady," he murmured and then continued on his way, enjoying the rest of his cake.

-0-

Marinette made it to her class just in time. She slid into her seat with relief and set the box on the corner of her desk.

The girl sitting in the seat beside her looked over at the box curiously. "More cakes?" she asked, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger. She had dark skin and wavy reddish hair that Marinette envied. Her own hair was black and straight, like most of her classmates. The only thing that set her apart from them was her blue eyes.

"Yeah," Marinette said. "Do you want one, Alya?"

Her friend Alya leaned over and opened the box, peering inside. She looked back up at Marinette, one eyebrow raised. "You dropped them again, didn't you, girl?" she asked.

Marinette sighed. "I did," she admitted, "but I was helping an old man across the road."

Alya took one of the cakes and leaned back in her chair. "It's always something with you, isn't it," she said. "You're always trying to help people. It's adorable."

"Girls," their teacher said disapprovingly from the front of the room. "Save your gossip, and your cakes, for lunch break."

Both girls turned back to the front of the room as their teacher continued with the lesson, Alya continuing to eat her cake in defiance of the teacher's order.

-0-

Adrien Agreste sighed as he stared at the smiling brown haired girl dressed in a blue uniform in front of him.

"You've really never been to school before?" she asked incredulously.

"My father had me home-schooled in France," Adrien said. "I insisted on attending a public school when we moved here."

"Oh, you'll love it here," Keiko Yukimura told him. She was his class rep and had been tasked with showing him around the school. "The teachers are decent, most of them anyway and I'm sure you'll make friends in no time," she continued.

She led him down the hall to their classroom, chattering about the school and the teachers the entire time. Students dressed in the same blue uniform as Adrien currently was stared at him as they passed. Adrien knew he stood out, and not merely because he was a famous fashion model. He stood out because of his blond hair and green eyes, both traits very unusual in Japan.

When Keiko guided him into the classroom all of the students stared at him. Adrien immediately felt uneasy. He knew he should be used to it, and for the most part he was, but this school thing was entirely new to him. He really wanted to make a good impression on his new classmates.

He was asked to stand in front of the class and say a few words about himself. Adrien deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that he was a model or that his father was a famous fashion designer. He wanted to be liked for himself, not his fame or connections. He'd really only ever had one friend in his life in France and he was lonely. He already missed his childhood friend Chloe.

At lunchtime, Keiko introduced him to her friends, two girls who stared at him and giggled behind their hands. Adrien tried to be polite, but he knew these girls weren't the type of people he wanted as friends.

Things began to look up when a boy with his hair styled in an orange pompadour approached Keiko. His features were thug-like but the boy had such a goofy grin on his face that Adrien liked him immediately.

"Hey, Keiko," he said when he stood beside her. "Did Urameshi come to school today?"

Keiko's expression immediately turned thunderous. "No," she said sourly. "He had some excuse about not feeling up to it."

"But it's been like three weeks!" the other boy exclaimed. "He's had plenty of time to recover."

"He's milking it for all it's worth," Keiko grumbled. "Don't worry. I'll drag him here tomorrow."

"Good. I don't see why I gotta come to school but he gets to skip. That's not fair," the boy said. Then he turned to look over Adrien critically. "You the new kid?" he asked.

"Yes," Adrien said. "I'm Adrien."

"I'm Kazuma Kuwabara," the boy told him. "You got any problems with anyone, you come find me. I'll deal with them."

"Ah... Okay," Adrien said cautiously.

Keiko shook her head disapprovingly. "Why do guys always get into fights?" she asked no one in particular.

Her friends laughed. "It's the guys you hang out with," one of them told her. "What do you expect?"

Keiko frowned, her eyes moving to Kuwabara. He shrugged at her. "Some people just deserve to have the crap beat out of them," he said, unapologetic.

"You might be right," Keiko told her friend with a resigned sigh.

-0-

At the end of the school day Adrien put the books he would need for his homework into his bag. As he searched for his mobile phone he was surprised when his hand encountered a small box. He was sure that hadn't been in his bag this morning. He pulled it out and examined it. It looked like a jewellery box. Opening it, he saw that it held a strange black ring with a green pawprint on it. Adrien wondered if it was some kind of costume jewellery.

His mind flashed back to that morning. Nothing unusual had happened, except that he'd helped an old man who'd tripped on the sidewalk outside the school. How had this box gotten into his bag? Shrugging, Adrien shoved the box back into the bag and prepared to leave.

"Adrien!"

Adrien turned at the sound of Keiko's voice. She was heading down the hall towards him at a fast pace, smiling kindly at him.

"Are you going home now?" she asked when she reached him.

"Yes," Adrien said. "My ah... " He had been about to say that his chauffeur would be picking him up but he remembered that he didn't want to share that information with anyone. He was left to trail off awkwardly.

Keiko frowned at him. "I'll walk you out," she told him.

"Ah, okay," Adrien said and they walked towards the doors of the school.

Adrien noticed as they moved through the halls that a lot of the students standing in the halls seemed to be arguing with each other. Puzzled, he turned to Keiko.

"Is it just me, or does everyone seem a little worked up right now?" he asked.

Keiko glanced around at the other students. "It's not normally like this," she admitted. "I mean, sometimes there's fights, but not like this."

Adrien quickened his pace, eager to get outside, and Keiko did the same. A quick glance at her told Adrien that she was worried.

However, the grounds outside were no different. Even the teachers seemed to have been affected by what was happening. Adrien saw his maths teacher arguing with a woman he didn't know, likely another teacher.

"Hey, Keiko!" a loud voice called.

Keiko balled her hands into fists. "Yusuke!" she bellowed, making Adrien jump back in shock. "You miss the whole day of school then have the nerve to show your face now!"

The boy with slicked-back dark hair who had called Keiko's name went pale. He wore denim jeans, a white t-shirt and a green jacket. "Ah, well," he said. "I'm still sore, you know."

"Not too sore to go to the arcade, I bet," Keiko snapped.

"Hey, ah, who's your new friend?" Yusuke asked in a transparent attempt to change the subject. Keiko slapped him, sending him stumbling several steps back.

"Hey!" he protested.

Adrien was no longer paying attention to the two of them and barely even noticed the slap. Instead, he was staring at a boy who was wearing a strange green and white skin-tight costume and large green glasses. His hair was green and his skin also had a slight green hue to it. The boy was strolling casually in their direction. He looked quite smug, Adrien thought.

"Ah, Keiko?" he asked uneasily, tugging on her sleeve. She turned to him, confused.

"What?" she asked.

Adrien pointed at the boy and both Yusuke and Keiko looked at him.

"What a freak," Yusuke muttered.

Keiko reached out to grip Yusuke's arm. "Do you think...?"

Yusuke shook his head. "With that get-up and those ridiculous glasses? No way," he said.

Suddenly the boy turned in their direction and Adrien tensed. He had a very bad feeling all of a sudden.

The boy's expression twisted into a malicious sneer and then a green light shot out from his eyes and hit Yusuke squarely in the chest. Keiko cried out in surprise and fear, but the boy made no further move towards them. Instead, he walked away.

"Yusuke? Are you alright?" Keiko demanded anxiously. She gripped his shoulder tightly. Yusuke turned towards them and Adrien gasped in horror. Keiko's hand flew to her mouth. His eyes were glowing a bright green. And then the light died, Yusuke's eyes returning to normal.

"Yusuke?" Keiko asked uncertainly.

"Got to find Kurama," he said in a strangely flat tone.

"What?" Keiko asked in confusion. But Yusuke ignored her, turning to walk away.

"Something really weird is going on here," Keiko said. "Maybe you should head home, Adrien."

Adrien knew she was right, but he also wanted to help with whatever was happening. "Where are you going?" he asked Keiko.

"I'm going to follow Yusuke," she said grimly. "If he's looking for Kurama, then I know exactly where he'll go."

"I'll go with you then," Adrien said. He pulled out his mobile and texted his driver, letting him know that there was a change in plans. Nathalie wouldn't be happy, but he'd deal with that later.

"Adrien," Keiko said. He looked up to see that she wore a very solemn expression on her face. "This could be dangerous," she told him. "I think you should go home."

"I'm coming with you," Adrien said stubbornly, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He was surprised when his hand encountered the box he'd found in his bag earlier. He thought he'd put it back in the bag.

Keiko sighed. "Let's hurry, then," she said. "Who knows, maybe Kurama can sort this whole mess out."

Adrien followed her off the school grounds and onto the street.

-0-

Marinette stared down into her bag in puzzlement. Cautiously, she reached in and picked up the box she'd found in it. She let the bag dangle from her shoulder as she turned her find around and around in her hands. She opened it and saw that it contained red and black spotted earrings.

"Cool!" she exclaimed. Marinette wanted to be a fashion designer and was always interested in new and quirky jewellery. But how had it ended up in her bag?

She turned so her back was against the lockers. It couldn't hurt to try them on, could it?

She went into the bathroom and put the earrings on, intending to examine herself in the mirror when she heard a small high-pitched voice exclaim, "Hello!"

Marinette cried out in surprise and spun around. She knocked the box off the counter and it cluttered to the floor as she stared at the small red and black creature hovering in front of her.

"I'm Tikki!" it said cheerily. Red with black spots? Did it have something to do with the earrings, Marinette wondered.

"Ah, I'm Marinette," she finally managed to get out. After all, there was no need to be rude, she decided.

"Nice to meet you, Marinette," Tikki said. "Now, I know this is all very surprising but there's a few things we need to talk about..."

-0-

"Oh, no," Keiko breathed. Adrien skidded to a stop beside her. Keiko had led him to a nearby private school. He saw that her attention was caught by the figure of Yusuke confronting an older boy in a pink uniform with red hair. The boy looked entirely baffled. Keiko ran over to them.

"Yusuke, I have no idea what you are talking about," the redhead said. His voice was soft but his green eyes were sharp and locked on Yusuke's brown ones.

"It's not fair," Yusuke said. "Your hair is nicer than mine."

"Yusuke!" Keiko cried. "Where did you get those?"

Adrien came up beside her and now he saw what Yusuke held: a pair of sharp-looking scissors.

The boy, who Adrien assumed was Kurama, took a step back, his sharp gaze falling on Keiko.

"Do you have any explanation for Yusuke's behaviour?" he asked, his voice far too calm for someone facing a crazed teenager wielding a pair of sharp scissors. Adrien had to admire his cool.

"There was this boy with a strange costume," Keiko said. "He shot Yusuke in the chest with this green beam from his glasses and then Yusuke said he needed to find you."

Yusuke lunged at Kurama and he neatly sidestepped the other boy. "That sounds suspicious," he said, "But it also does not sound like a demon."

"A demon?" Adrien asked. Both Keiko and Kurama stared at him. Adrien realised that they had forgotten he was there.

"We will discuss this later," Kurama said with a frown. Adrien gulped as he met the other boy's unsettling emerald gaze. "For now, let us figure out how to help Yusuke."

"Um, Kurama?" Keiko asked uncertainly. She was staring beyond Kurama's back.

"Yes?" he asked, after avoiding another attack from Yusuke and punching the other boy in the gut, causing him to double over. Adrien winced. That had to hurt.

Keiko pointed over Kurama's shoulder. He turned his head and froze. Half a dozen students dressed in the same uniform as him were approaching them, and they did not look friendly. In fact, most of them carried items that could easily be used as weapons. Adrien saw that one boy held a pencil and he realised that it could do some serious damage to Kurama if wielded effectively. Though he seemed to be handling Yusuke well enough, the older boy didn't stand a chance if all the students converged on him at once.

Adrien suddenly felt something warm in his pocket. He reached his hand in and found the small jewellery box from earlier. As he held it, he realised that it was vibrating slightly.

"Um, I'll see if I can find a teacher," he said hurriedly to Kurama and Keiko, but he needn't have wasted his breath. Neither of them were listening. Keiko was putting herself between Kurama and the other students, holding her bag as if she intended to use it as a weapon. Kurama was attempting to reason with Yusuke, who was still trying to attack him. Adrien was alarmed to notice that the redhead's sleeve had been cut. A thin line of red welled up from the injury.

Adrien darted out of the school gate and huddled against the wall. He was temporarily out of the sight of the other students but he knew he wouldn't have long before someone came along and saw him. He opened the jewellery box and, after a moment of hesitation, put the black ring on.

"Finally!" A small black vaguely cat-shaped creature appeared in front of him. "Look," it said, "we don't have a lot of time so listen up!"

Adrien gaped at the creature in shock, then looked down at the ring on his hand. "What-" he started to ask, but was cut off by the cat creature.

"Do you want to help those friends of yours or not?" it demanded.

"Friends?" Adrien asked. He didn't think he'd known any of them long enough for them to qualify as friends.

The cat glared at him and Adrien gulped. "I do want to help them," he said firmly. "What do I have to do?"

The cat looked pleased. "Listen up," it said. "If you do exactly what I tell you to do then everything will be fine..."

-0-

Marinette stared at herself in the mirror of the bathroom. She was now wearing a red and black spotted tight-fitting body suit with a red mask covering her face. She rolled the yo-yo around in her hand thoughtfully. She remembered playing with yo-yo's when she was young but hadn't touched one in several years.

Tikki had told her that there was a villain on the loose and everyone was in danger. She hadn't been sure whether to believe the kwami or not but here she was, dressed in a superhero costume. It seemed that Tikki had been honest about that much, at least.

Marinette headed out of the bathroom, taking the time to put her bag back in her locker before leaving the building. Her attention was immediately drawn to the largest group of students in her sight. It looked like two students were confronting a group of half a dozen or more of their peers, most of whom attended Meiou.

"Well, that's not fair," Marinette muttered. She decided to test out her new abilities and try to break up the fight.

After using her yo-yo to trip some of the pink-clad students, Marinette gained the attention of one of the students holding them off.

"If I may ask, who are you?" the older boy with long red hair asked as he blocked a blow aimed at Marinette's stomach. He was dressed in a Meiou uniform and Marinette thought she recognized him as one of the students in the year above hers. He was quite popular, she recalled.

"Later," Marinette told him after ducking to avoid a ruler that had almost smacked her in the face.

"Kurama!" a panicked voice cried. "Stop him!"

Both Marinette and the boy whirled at the sound of the feminine voice. They saw that the brown-haired girl who'd been helping hold off the students was now staring at the boy dressed in casual clothes in horror. He was holding his hand as though he were shooting a gun. Marinette looked at the redhead and saw his face twist into a mask of panic. He darted forward, grabbing the boy's arm and twisting him around so that his arm was held behind his back. It effectively took the boy out of the fight but it also rendered the redhead virtually helpless if any of the others got close.

"Now what?" Marinette asked herself. Fighting these students certainly wasn't solving the problem but she couldn't leave these two alone to defend themselves. It was obvious that this was a serious situation.

Abruptly, two students were thrown back as someone new leapt into the fray. Marinette saw that it was a blonde boy dressed in a black suit that resembled a superhero costume like her own. Black cat ears sat on top of his head and he wielded a baton with a skill that Marinette envied. He flashed her a cocky smile.

"We need to find the real bad guy," he told her. "I think I know what he looks like."

"Oh, there's no need to look for me," a voice called from nearby. "I'm right here."

Marinette and the cat boy turned to see a boy with green glasses and hair standing several meters away. "I'm the Green-Eyed Monster and I made a deal with Hawkmoth," he sneered. "Give me your Miraculous."

A bolt of green light narrowly missed Marinette as the cat boy yanked her out of the way. He had excellent reflexes, Marinette thought. Had he had some kind of training?

"I think one of us should try using our power," the boy said as they ducked behind a tree. She was pressed up against the trunk of the tree with the boy right in front of her, uncomfortably close. She couldn't help the red blooming across her cheeks and hoped he didn't notice. From the amused twinkle in his green eyes, she guessed he did.

"I think mine won't be of much help," the boy continued. "Try using yours."

Marinette gripped the yo-yo tightly. "Can you cover me?" she asked.

"Certainly, my lady," he responded. "I'll be right behind you."

"Just keep your eyes off my behind," she told him. She had no idea where she'd gotten the courage to say that but the surprised laugh that came out of his mouth made her smile in return.

"I'll do my best," he assured her, "But no purr-omises. On three. One... Two... Three!"

They both leapt out. Marinette yelled, "Lucky Charm!", activating her Miraculous's ability. She was stunned when a spray can dropped into her hands.

"Huh?" she asked, baffled.

Ahead of her, the cat boy was knocked several feet into the air by a punch from the Green-Eyed Monster. It seemed that Hawkmoth's akuma gave him enhanced strength. A quick look around told Marinette that she wouldn't have any help from the other students. They were still caught up in their own battle.

She ran forward raising the spray can. The Green-Eyed Monster turned towards her. She could see green light pooling in his glasses. She sprayed him right in the face with the can. Orange paint shot out and covered his face. He reeled back, landing on his behind. He scrabbled frantically at his glasses, trying to clear the paint from them, but he only succeeded in making the mess worse.

Seizing the opportunity to disarm him, Marinette yanked his glasses from his face and stood on them, crushing them under her foot. A small black butterfly appeared and fluttered up into the air. Marinette remembered Tikki's instructions.

"Time to de-evilize!" she called, catching the small butterfly in her yo-yo.

When the butterfly emerged from her yo-yo it had changed colour to white. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," she called as it flew away. Then she threw her yo-yo up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she shouted. When the light around her faded, she saw that many of the students who had been previously fighting were standing around looking confused. The redheaded boy who had spoke to Marinette before was studying his sleeve with interest, the fabric now whole. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, buddy."

Marinette turned to see that the cat-boy was holding out his hand to a boy in a blue uniform sitting on the cement. The boy took his hand and the cat-boy helped him to his feet. He adjusted his glasses awkwardly.

"What happened?" he asked. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"Don't worry about it," Cat-boy told him, patting the dazed boy's shoulder in a comforting manner.

Marinette's earring began to beep and she hurried towards the school before anyone could approach her. She needed to get out of sight before she transformed back.

-0-

Adrien had difficulty extracting himself from the crowd of students. Finally he was dragged aside by the redheaded boy, who ushered him into the school. Adrien appreciated the other boy's actions but was annoyed when the redhead refused to leave him alone.

"You know, superheroes are supposed to keep their real identities a secret," he griped as the redhead faced him, arms crossed as he blocked the door of the empty classroom he'd dragged Adrien into.

"I won't tell," the boy told him. "I do owe you after all, since you and your spotted friend helped me."

Adrien frowned but decided that he didn't have much of a choice.

"All right," he sighed, transforming back. Plagg flew out of his ring, immediately flopping dramatically to the floor.

"Must... have... cheese," the black cat kwami groaned.

The redhead's green eyes widened. "I take it this creature is the source of your power?" he asked.

"Yeah. Looks kind of pathetic, doesn't he?" Adrien said.

"Hey! Who're you calling pathetic!" the cat exclaimed, shooting up from the ground to get into Adrien's face.

"What a fast recovery," the redhead murmured.

Adrien snickered, deciding that right now, he liked the redhead.

"I'm Adrien," he told the boy.

The boy's lips turned upward. "That doesn't sound like a fitting name for a superhero," he commented.

"Yeah, I guess I'd better come up with something catchier. How about... Chat Noir?" he suggested.

"Very French and mysterious," the boy said with a smile. He bowed his head. "I am Minamino Shuichi. Or, as you heard your new friends call me, Kurama. I would appreciate it if you did not use that name around my classmates or family, however."

"Is Kurama your secret superhero name?" Adrien asked mischievously.

Minamino chuckled. "You could say that," he said. "Now, I think you should leave before me, in case anyone saw us entering the building together. I'll meet you outside."

Adrien blinked before agreeing. He hadn't even thought of that. Kurama sure was sneaky.

-0-

Marinette stepped out of the school to see that the brown haired girl who'd been with the redhead was now speaking with one of the students that had attacked them. It seemed that everything was all right now. The redheaded boy was missing, however, as was Cat-Boy.

She decided not to talk to them and instead made her way past them. They were unaware of her involvement in the incident and she wanted it to stay that way. She felt that it would be best if she simply went home.

As she walked down the street she thought about the events of the afternoon. The Green-Eyed Monster had mentioned someone named Hawkmoth. Someone he'd made a deal with. He must have made a deal with him to gain his villainous powers.

But who was Hawkmoth and what did he want? The villain had demanded that Marinette and Cat-Boy hand over their Miraculous. Did Hawkmoth have a Miraculous of his own? Why did he want theirs if he already had his own?

So many questions, Marinette thought. Maybe Tikki had some answers. She couldn't wait to question the ladybug kwami more but she wanted to do it in the privacy of her own room, where no one would catch sight of Tikki.

When she stepped through the door of the bakery the smell of fresh sweet cakes and bread assaulted her along with her father, who wrapped her in a hug.

"Where have you been?" he asked worriedly. "Your mother and I have been so worried about you. You weren't involved with that mess on the news, were you?"

"What mess?" Marinette asked as she pulled away from her father to stare up at him, puzzled.

Her mother came up beside her father. "That mess with the superheroes," she said. "It looked like some of the people in that video were wearing your school uniform, dear. Was it near your school?"

"That was quick," Marinette said in surprise. Her parents gave her confused and worried looks. Marinette suddenly realised what she said.

"Oh,I meant that the media got ahold of the story quick," she said hastily. "I wasn't involved but I heard about it from some classmates." She laughed awkwardly. "Crazy, isn't it?" she said.

"Oh, good," her mother sighed. "I'm so glad you weren't involved and no one got hurt."

Marinette followed her parents behind the counter of the bakery as they returned to work. "How did the media get the story?" she asked curiously.

Her father turned to smile at her. "A student caught it on their mobile phone," he said.

Marinette paled. She hadn't even considered the possibility that someone would record the incident. She would have to be very careful to keep Tikki and her secret identity to herself. She hurried up to her room, determined to find the video and see it for herself.

-0-

Yusuke and Kurama stood in Koenma's sparse white office in front of his desk along with their friend Kuwabara Kazuma. The orange haired boy stared at Yusuke in disbelief.

"I can't believe you tried to cut off Kurama's hair," he said. "And I can't believe he let you live. And I can't believe I missed it."

Kurama raised a protective hand to his long red locks, his lips pursed in displeasure. Yusuke looked sheepish.

"Man, I can't even really remember what happened," he said. "I don't know why I did it."

"I do," the ruler of Spirit World said around the pacifier in his mouth. The toddler form of Koenma sat on his chair, eyes peeking over a stack of paper almost as tall as he was. He shoved the papers aside and they went flying off the desk.

"Yeah? Enlighten us, Baby Breath," Yusuke drawled, crossing his arms.

"After some study we've been able to determine that the people affected by that young man were jealous," Koenma said. "They either verbally or physically attacked the object of their jealousy. In your case, physically."

Kuwabara exploded into loud laughter, pointing at Yusuke. "You're jealous of Kurama's hair!" he crowed.

Yusuke glared at him. "I am not," he defended. Kurama stared at him, one eyebrow raised and Yusuke wilted under his hard gaze.

"Okay, well, maybe a little," he admitted. "It always looks so neat. My hair looks terrible in my demon form. Plus yours is a nice colour. Black is so common and boring."

Kurama sighed and shook his head. "That's something I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing," he said.

"No harm done, though, right?" Yusuke said. "Everything turned out fine."

"Thanks to those two humans who returned the villain to normal," Koenma said. "It seems as though he was taken over by an external force."

"I had the opportunity to speak to one of the heroes after the incident," Kurama said, earning himself surprised looks from the other occupants of the room. "It seems as though he gets his abilities from an external force as well."

"Yes, I have Botan looking into that," Koenma said. "I have a suspicion that I know what is responsible for this. And if I'm right, things are going to get quite strange in Human World in the very near future. I want all of you to stay alert. If you encounter anything like this again, please try to keep innocent people from getting hurt. Also, try to find out as much as you can about the heroes and the villains, particularly what motivates them. They are playing with powers that may well be beyond their understanding or control."

"We will do so," Kurama assured him.

"Thank you," Koenma sighed. "I'll have Botan contact you if she finds anything useful in the Spirit World archives."

"I won't hold my breath," Yusuke told him.

"What do you mean by that?" Koenma demanded, insulted. He jumped onto the desk and glared at Yusuke, his hands on his pudgy hips and his face scrunched into a scowl.

"I mean Spirit World ain't exactly on the up-and-up when it comes to sharing information," Yusuke told him. "How many times have you shoved me into dangerous situations and kept important details to yourself?"

Koenma spluttered indignantly. Yusuke turned to Kurama.

"I'm right, aren't I, Fox-Boy?" he asked. "You know I'm right."

"You are right," Kurama confirmed, his lips twitching upward.

"See? Kurama says I'm right," Yusuke said to Koenma. Kuwabara started laughing as Koenma's face turned purple.

The little ruler waved one fist at them. "Out!" he bellowed. Grinning, Yusuke strolled out the door, Kurama and Kuwabara following him.

"I get no respect," Koenma muttered as he sat back in his chair.

His blue ogre assistant Jorge walked in with a stack of papers just in time to overhear his comment.

"Perhaps it's because you're not even three feet tall?" he suggested helpfully.

Koenma glared at him. "Get out," he ordered.

"But-" Jorge protested.

"Out!" Koenma roared.

Jorge hastily threw his stack of papers at his boss's desk, most of them ending up on the floor instead. He turned and fled the room.

Koenma paused for a moment, staring at the mess. Then he shouted, "Ogre, get back in here and clean up this mess!"


	2. Chapter 2: Roses Are Red

Marinette didn't get the chance to speak to Tikki immediately. As she ascended the stairs to her room her phone began ringing. A quick glance at the screen told her that it was Alya. She answered the call as she entered her room and closed the door behind her.

"Hello?" she said. "Alya?"

Tikki flew out of her bag and began to explore Marinette's room as she sat down on her bed.

"Marinette! You're never going to believe this!" Alya exclaimed excitedly.

"Huh?" Marinette asked in confusion.

"Have you seen the news?" Alya asked.

"No," Marinette told her. "Is this about that superhero thing?" she asked uneasily. "You weren't caught up in it, were you?"

"Well, kind of," Alya admitted. "I got it all on video!"

"You're the one who taped it?" Marinette cried, her eyes going wide.

"Yeah! I posted it on the internet and you will not believe how many views it has!" Alya said. "It's totally awesome! Nothing this exciting ever happens around here."

Marinette resisted the urge to groan. "It's also kind of dangerous," she pointed out to her friend.

Alya shrugged off her concern as Marinette knew she would. Her exuberant friend wasn't afraid of anything. "Everything turned out fine. Ladybug and Chat Noir handled it," Alya said. "Besides, someone's got to record it. People have a right to know what happened."

Marinette wasn't sure she agreed with her friend but she couldn't argue with Alya right now. She was too distracted by something that Alya had just said. "Ladybug? Chat Noir?" she asked, confused.

"The heroes!" Alya clarified. "That's what everyone's calling them."

"Chat Noir?" Marinette asked thoughtfully. "Isn't that French?"

"Yeah, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Look, I have to go. I just wanted to let you know what happened. Watch the video, okay? It's on my blog. I've e-mailed you the address."

"Okay," Marinette agreed.

After saying goodbye to her friend she set her phone aside and called, "tikki?"

The kwami flew over from the window. "Yes, Marinette?" she asked.

"I don't know if I can do this," Marinette confided. "It's all just a little too real. What if I make a mistake and someone gets hurt? What if my friends get hurt?"

"I won't lie. There's always that risk," Tikki told her. "But I have faith in you. I know you're the right person for this, Marinette. And you have Chat Noir to help you."

Marinette flopped back onto her pillows and thought about the boy in the cat suit. Chat Noir. He had seemed confident. Even when he'd been knocked down by the akuma he'd gotten straight back up again.

"It'll be fine," Tikki said, her voice reassuring. "You'll see, Marinette. Just give it a chance."

Marinette sighed. "Okay," she said reluctantly. She really didn't know if she could hold to her word on that or not though. The truth was that she felt very out of her depth. She knew that now that the existence of the superheroes had gone public, people would be expecting her and Chat Noir to handle the villains that came their way. She wasn't sure if she was up to the task.

-0-

"Why are you late?"

Adrien tried to hide his unease as he stared up at the imposing figure of his father Gabriel Aegreste. The man was tall, blonde and stern faced. He was dressed in an expensive suit. He stood on the landing of the stairs while Adrien stood at the foot.

"I had a meeting after school," he lied. "It was a club thing."

"Club?" Gabriel asked. "Did you join a club?"

"I did," Adrien said, hoping his father wouldn't discover his lie. He hoped that he could use the fake club as an excuse in the future if he needed to transform into Chat Noir again. "It was the ... Literature Club," he added. He spent a lot of time reading and figured that his father would buy the story.

Gabriel frowned. "As long as this club doesn't interfere with your responsibilities I suppose I can allow it," he said.

Adrien bit back a scowl. He hadn't been asking permission. He hated how controlling his father could be.

Without another word Gabriel turned and headed up the stairs. Nathalie, who had been standing behind Adrien during the brief conversation, followed him. She glanced back at Adrien once before she left. Adrien wondered if she suspected that he'd been lying about the club. She probably did. Nathalie was not a gullible person and she was far more involved in Adrien's life than his father was. Adrien would have to be very careful to keep his secret identity from his father. He was very certain that his father would take the news badly.

After swiping some cheese from the kitchen for Plagg, Adrien made his way to his bedroom on the second floor of the large house. His room was large and well furnished with everything he could ever need. His father had always been generous when it came to buying Adrien clothes and electronics. But he was incredibly stingy when it came to giving his son affection. Adrien thought that he would give up all of his possessions if his father could just show him that he loved him.

-0-

The next morning Marinette weaved her way around clusters of students in the halls of Meiou. She could hear that they were all talking about what happened yesterday. It made her all the more conscious of the small kwami tucked in her bag.

She dodged around a group of four students standing in the middle of the hall and walked straight into someone. She stumbled backwards with an undignified squeak of surprise and her bag slid to the floor, a few books spilling out, and much more alarmingly, one spotted kwami.

Marinette immediately stammered out, "Sorry," and dropped to her knees, reaching for Tikki. The male student she'd bumped into also went to his knees and reached for the kwami. His hand closed around Tikki before she could grab her.

He uncurled his fingers and held Tikki in the palm of his hand. Marinette looked up to meet forest green eyes. It was the boy from yesterday. The girl had called him Kurama, she recalled. He stared down at Tikki for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers. She swallowed nervously. There was something all too knowing in his gaze.

Marinette felt that she needed to explain. "I-it's just a toy," she stuttered.

"Oh?" Kurama asked softly. "I've never seen one like this before."

Tikki remained completely frozen in his hand. Marinette was sure that the kwami was terrified.

"Can I have her back, please?" Marinette asked awkwardly. Kurama blinked at her, seeming to have forgotten that he still held Tikki.

"Ah, yes, of course," he said. He held out his hand towards her and Marinette gingerly took Tikki from him. Kurama began to gather up her books and help her put them back into her bag.

"Her?" He questioned suddenly.

Marinette started, confused. "Excuse me?" She asked, not understanding.

"You referred to the toy as 'her'," Kurama explained, his lips turned up into a small amused smile.

"Oh." Marinette was sure that her cheeks were as red as his hair. "I, ah..." She had no idea what to say. She was absolutely mortified. This handsome older student probably thought that she was some weird girl who still played with toys.

"I'm sorry," Kurama said as he pushed the last book into her bag. "I haven't even introduced myself. I am Shuichi Minamino."

Marinette wanted to cry with relief. She was so grateful for the change of topic. But, Shuichi Minamino? Was Kurama a nickname, then? "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she said. Minamino stood up and offered her a hand up. Marinette hesitantly took it. His hand closed gently around hers and he pulled her to her feet.

"It is nice to meet you," Minamino said with a smile as he released her hand. "But I am sure we have met before. You seem very familiar."

Oh, my God, Marinette thought. Does he recognise me from yesterday? "We haven't met," she said hastily.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Damn those eyes, Marinette thought. It seemed as though they could see right through her and read her mind.

"I'm sure," Marinette said, putting as much conviction into her voice as she could.

Minamino opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a new voice.

"Marinette! I've been waiting for you!"

Alya ducked around Minamino and then turned to stare at him.

"Hey, you were involved in that superhero thing yesterday," she said excitedly. "Can I get an interview?"

Minamino paled and Marinette struggled to stifle her laughter at the horrified expression on his face. A surge of vindictive pleasure went through her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't have time." He gave Marinette a charming smile that never reached his eyes. "I'll see you later, Miss Dupain-Cheng."

"Ah, yeah," Marinette stammered. Alya turned to regard her with curious eyes as Minamino left, striding past them.

"Do you know who that is?" She hissed, grabbing Marinette's arm and pulling her along between the groups of students.

"Shuichi Minamino?" She asked uncertainly.

"He's really popular," Alya babbled. "I guess that's why so many of his classmates were jealous of him."

"Jealous?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah," Alya said. "Didn't you watch my video? Those students who were attacking him were jealous of him for one reason or another. His grades, his looks, his popularity..."

Marinette began to feel a little sorry for him. "Does he have any friends?" She asked curiously.

Alya frowned and considered her answer as they walked through the door of their classroom and took their seats. "Now that you mention it, I don't think so," she said. "I mean, people talk to him all the time but he never really hangs around with anyone on a regular basis. He seemed interested in you, though. Maybe you should try talking to him?"

"I don't know," Marinette said. She had a sneaking suspicion that Minamino might know, or at least suspect, that she was Ladybug.

"Oh, come on, girl," Alya said. "Don't be a chicken."

Marinette laughed. "You just want to get your interview."

Alya grinned at her, unrepentant. "Absolutely. And I am not above using my friends to get it."

Marinette shook her head ruefully. At the front of the room the teacher clapped her hands and called for the class's attention. Marinette turned her attention to the teacher but her thoughts remained on Minamino. Exactly how much did he know?

-0-

Yusuke came to school that day. Adrien was pleased to see that Yusuke was in his class, along with Keiko. The dark haired boy sat behind him, legs sprawled out in the aisle carelessly. He wore a green jumpsuit, in defiance of the school rules.

At lunchtime Adrien got out his lunchbox. He sighed as he opened it to reveal a salad. Because of his job as a model he was on a strict diet.

He jumped in surprise when something smacked lightly against the back of his head. He turned to see Yusuke grinning at him. He'd thrown a piece of balled-up paper at Adrien's head. Keiko had pulled her chair up beside Yusuke and was staring disapprovingly at him.

"Get over here," he said to Adrien. Adrien eagerly grabbed his lunch and spun his chair around so he was facing Yusuke. The orange haired Kuwabara came up on Yusuke's other side with his chair and lunch. They formed a small square around Yusuke's desk.

"How are you after everything that happened yesterday?" Keiko asked Adrien.

"I'm fine," Adrien said. "It was pretty exciting, wasn't it?"

"Man, I can't believe I missed it," Kuwabara moaned.

Yusuke frowned. "I can't remember much of it," he said. "How is the guy who was taken over, anyway?"

"He's back at school today," Keiko said. "I think he's fine."

Kuwabara laughed loudly. "He's better than fine. I saw him this morning surrounded by people and telling them all about it. I think he's making some of it up though."

Keiko had been staring at Adrien thoughtfully, biting her lip. Now she spoke. "Where were you during the attack, Adrien?" she asked. "You disappeared and you didn't show up until after it was over."

Adrien felt a cold shiver go up his spine. He'd been hoping that she wouldn't remember that. "I, ah ... went to get a teacher but got lost," he said awkwardly. "Your friend Kurama found me."

"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who missed the action," Kuwabara muttered.

"Oh, get over it," Yusuke told him. "There's a video on the internet that some chick from Meiou posted on a blog. Go watch that."

"I did," Kuwabara scowled. "Everyone's seen it. It's all over the news."

"Then stop your bitching," Yusuke said, annoyed. "Hey, maybe Hawkmoth will turn you into a villain next, " he added, his tone hopeful.

Keiko laughed. "I just can't see that happening," she said. "Kuwabara's more the hero type. He's so gallant and kind."

"Yeah. I'd totally make a better villain," Yusuke agreed, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. The conversation quickly devolved into an argument between Yusuke and Kuwabara as to who would make a better villain. Adrien listened, smiling to himself. He was relieved that Keiko had seemed to buy his weak explanation. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be so easy to hide his identity from this group for long though. Their friend Kurama already knew, after all. Hopefully he would keep his word but exactly how loyal was he to his friends? Did his loyalty to them trump his word to a virtual stranger?

-0-

There was not a peep from Hawkmoth for the rest of the week, leaving the city to speculate wildly. Alya's blog became very popular, something that both pleased and worried Marinette. While she was happy that her friend was enjoying so much acclaim, she was also worried that Alya's determination to learn about the superheroes would put her in danger.

Marinette had been shocked when Minamino had asked her to meet with him and his friends on Sunday. While he had sought her out both before and after school since their brief meeting, she didn't think that chatting for a few days warranted a weekend date. It made Marinette certain that he knew something about her identity as Ladybug. Why else would he be interested in her?

Not that it was a date, Marinette assured herself as she stood in front of her mirror studying her latest creation: an embroidered sundress. She was considering wearing it to the get-together. She didn't have long before she would have to leave.

"It looks great!" Tikki assured her. "You're so creative, Marinette." Tikki floated in the air just over her shoulder, studying Marinette in the mirror. Marinette had to smile. The kwami had become her own personal cheerleader.

"I guess it's okay," she said. "But I need a necklace or something." She rummaged around in her collection of jewellery before choosing a necklace. There was no point in looking for earrings. She would be wearing the Miraculous.

"Shuichi will love it," Tikki said mischievously.

"It's not a date," Marinette told her. "His friends will be there, too."

Her phone beeped and Marinette picked it up from her desk to see a message from Alya asking for a photo of her outfit for her date. Marinette groaned. "It's not a date," she muttered determinately. She sent Alya a photo of the dress, relieved when it met with her friend's approval. Her best friend's approval bolstered her courage.

The restaurant was easy to find. It was just after the lunchtime rush so not even half of the tables were occupied when Marinette walked in. She spotted Shuichi easily, his red hair standing out among the dark heads around him. Though her eye was caught by the blonde head sitting two chairs down from him. Her mind immediately flashed to her mysterious partner, Chat Noir. She shook her head, ridding it of the stray thought.

Shuichi had caught sight of her and was standing, making his way through the tables to her. He looked handsome in a white dress shirt and dark slacks. His friends turned to follow his graceful movement. Marinette began to feel nervous. She hoped she wouldn't stutter, as was a habit of hers.

"Marinette." He gave her a friendly smile and offered her his hand. "I'm glad you made it. Please come and meet my friends."

Despite his friendly air, there was still something cold in his eyes. Something that scared Marinette a little. She had a feeling Shuichi was more than he seemed. Those eyes were too old to belong on such a young face. She took his hand, unable to say anything or meet his green gaze. He didn't seem bothered by her awkwardness. He guided her over to the table he'd been seated at.

"This is Marinette," he said. "She is a fellow student at Meiou." Marinette took a seat and everyone introduced themselves.

"Marinette?" the blonde boy Adrien asked. "Is that French?" Marinette had noticed the boy's accent when he'd introduced himself and surmised that, like her, he had French heritage.

"Yes," she said. "My father is French."

Adrien's face split into a sunny smile. "I just moved here from France," he said. "Have you lived here all your life?"

"I lived in France when I was young," Marinette told him. "We moved here just before I started school." She considered Adrien thoughtfully. For some reason, she was sure that she'd seen him somewhere before. He looked very familiar. His name also sounded familiar. She made a mental note to check up on that later.

The waitress came over asking for their order. Marinette quickly skimmed a menu while the others ordered. She guessed that most of them were regulars, since only Adrien checked the menu, like her.

"And you, miss?" Marinette glanced up to see the waitress looking at Shuichi, who was now frowning up at her.

Yusuke's booming laugh rang out. "He's a guy," he informed the waitress, who blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, sir," she told Shuichi.

He smiled but Marinette could tell it was fake. He clearly didn't want to upset the waitress further. "It's quite all right," he said.

"Yeah. Happens to him all the time," Yusuke informed her. "It's the long hair and the pretty face and the slim- Ow!"

From the furious look on the face of the brown haired girl sitting beside Yusuke, Marinette guessed that she had either kicked him or stood on his foot. Her guess was confirmed when Yusuke shot her a dark look.

Shuichi gave his order in a smooth, unruffled voice. Marinette hoped that the brash Yusuke would leave him alone now. She suspected that Shuichi was more sensitive about his androgynous looks than he let on.

Her hopes were dashed when the waitress left. Yusuke leaned over to Shuichi. "Maybe you should grow a moustache or something," he suggested. "Then you'd at least look like a manly girl."

Shuichi's mouth pursed into a thin line. He stood abruptly and started to walk away.

"Hey, man, where're you going?" Yusuke called after him. Shuichi did not turn back and did not answer his friend as he exited the restaurant.

Marinette felt very uncomfortable. She wondered if she should go after him. Maybe he just needed some space?

"Dude, that was not cool," the orange haired Kuwabara told Yusuke.

"Yeah, you jerk," Keiko agreed, glaring at Yusuke. "You should apologise."

"Nah," Yusuke said airily. "It's no big deal. He'll get over it. He always does."

Marinette glanced at Adrien, who she saw looked as uncomfortable as she felt. He met her eyes, a worried frown on his face. Making up her mind, Marinette stood and followed in Shuichi's wake out to the sidewalk.

She froze when she caught sight of him. He stood on the sidewalk. In his hand he held a red rose. He twirled it around absently. His face was set in a frown, his green eyes focused on nothing. But what had caught Marinette's attention and made her freeze was the small black butterfly fluttering towards him. She was sure she'd seen a butterfly just like that. Very recently.

"Shuichi!" she called, starting forward. He turned to look at her, the rose stilling in his fingers. Then the black butterfly struck the rose and burst into light, which was absorbed into the rose.

Marinette gasped. Shuichi's expression twisted into an unnatural mask of hatred for a moment and then he was engulfed in light. When the light faded his appearance had changed drastically.

He wore long tight red pants and a red shirt with white buttons that flared out around his hips and came to mid thigh. The sleeves were short and bared his arms. The cuffs of the sleeves were white. The rose was now tucked into his hair. In his right hand was a long green whip. His green eyes were colder than Marinette had ever seen them. He began to walk towards her, his steps slow and deliberate. Marinette backed up, not taking her eyes off him. She felt as though she were caught in a predator's snare.

"Shuichi?" she asked cautiously as he came within arms length of her. She was ashamed to admit it, but she was relieved when he kept walking past her and into the restaurant, his eyes skimming over her as he passed.

Marinette backed away from the door of the restaurant and opened her bag. Tikki flew out.

"You have to transform," she told Marinette. "He's been akumatised."

Marinette glanced around herself. She didn't want to go back into the restaurant right now but she needed a private place to transform. She hurried into the alley beside the restaurant. Ducking out of sight of the street behind a dumpster, she transformed into Ladybug.

When she walked back onto the street in her red and black costume a stream of people were exiting the restaurant in a panic. Marinette noticed that several men now sported dresses and several women were wearing men's clothes. They barely even looked her way, obviously too frightened to stop and question her about her odd appearance.

After the crowd had left the restaurant Marinette made her way in. It was utter chaos. Tables had been upturned and chairs littered the floor. Marinette gulped when she noticed that some of the furniture appeared to have been sliced apart. Was Shuichi's whip really that strong?

"Hey, man, let's talk about this," Yusuke said nervously. He was standing in the middle of the room, facing the akumatised Shuichi, who had his back to Marinette. His long red hair streamed down his back. He really did look like a girl from behind, especially with that long shirt, Marinette decided. Just behind Yusuke stood Kuwabara and behind him huddled Keiko. At least, Marinette assumed it was Keiko. Her appearance was now distinctly masculine, though she still wore her blouse and skirt. Shuichi had used his power on her, it seemed. But where was the French boy, Adrien?

"Fancy meow-ting you here, my lady," a voice purred from behind her, making Marinette jump. Chat Noir moved up beside her. Where had he come from, Marinette wondered. And how had he gotten there so fast?

Yusuke jumped back as Shuichi's whip cracked through the air, narrowly missing him. Kuwabara leapt back as well, almost tripping over a fallen chair.

"Okay, so you don't wanna talk," Yusuke grumbled. He sounded far too cool about this for Marinette's liking. "Then let's play." He raced towards Shuichi but was forced to dodge when Shuichi's whip slashed his arm. Blood welled up from the cut and Marinette gasped. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll distract him," Chat Noir told her. "Can you find the akuma?"

"Yes. It's in the rose in his hair," Marinette told him.

"Okay." Chat Noir moved towards Shuichi's back, baton raised. For one glorious second Marinette thought that he'd caught Shuichi by surprise but then the redhead twisted around and threw something small at Chat Noir.

"Get out of the way!" Yusuke bellowed at them. It was too late. Something green and leafy shot up from the ground. A large bulb grew from the stem and quickly became a massive flower. But it was like no flower Marinette had ever seen. It's petals were purple and it had a giant gaping mouth lined with sharp teeth. Chat Noir was now inches away from a giant, carnivorous plant that was capable of devouring him whole.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette called desperately.

Chat was quicker than she gave him credit for, Marinette realised with relief.

"Cataclysm!" he called. And then he touched the petal of the yawning mouth intent on devouring him as it leaned close. The grotesque flower vanished. That was one frightening power, Marinette had to admit.

Marinette looked back to shuichi to see that Yusuke had taken advantage of his distraction. The dark haired boy had his arm wrapped tightly around Shuichi's throat. Shuichi had dropped the whip in favour of clawing at Yusuke's arm, trying to loosen his hold. Marinette was alarmed to see that Shuichi was gasping for air. Yusuke's hold was tight enough to cut off his air supply.

Yusuke's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Hurry up," he demanded. "If you can stop this then get on with it!" He sounded seriously peeved.

Reminded of her responsibility, Marinette approached the pair. From behind Yusuke, Kuwabara had moved closer to them. His expression was concerned.

Marinette plucked the rose from Shuichi's hair and crushed it. The little black butterfly she'd seen earlier flew out and she purified and released it.

Yusuke was now kneeling on the floor, his arms wrapped around a coughing Shuichi.

"Sorry, man," he said to the redhead. "You weren't yourself there for a little while."

Shuichi's hair hid his face as his body shook with his coughs.

"Hey." Marinette looked up from the pair on the floor to see Kuwabara regarding her. Behind him Keiko was climbing to her feet. She now looked like a girl again.

"Thanks," Kuwabara said to her. "That really could have gone badly."

"It's no problem," Marinette assured him. "I'm just glad everything worked out."

"But..." Kuwabara's eyes roamed the room and Marinette now took note of the damage.

From the dejected look on Keiko's face Marinette realised that she had just noticed it as well. "How are we going to clean this all up?" she wailed. "My parents are going to kill me."

Marinette felt someone give her shoulder a nudge. "Wanna give them a paw?" Chat Noir asked. "I mean, hand."

Marinette glared at him, caught between exasperation and amusement. "You'd better go," she told Chat. "You're going to change back soon."

Chat Noir bowed. "Purr-leasure working with you, my lady," he said, before exiting the restaurant. Marinette shook her head before turning to deal with the mess around her.

She used her Miraculous Ladybug magic to fix all of the broken furniture. Keiko's face morphed into an expression of relief and delight when she saw everything whole and in order again.

"Thank you," she exclaimed to Marinette. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad I could help," Marinette said, smiling at her. "But I have to go now as well."

"Wait." Marinette looked down to see that Shuichi was struggling to his feet, helped by Yusuke. He stared at Marinette. He seemed to be searching her face for something, though he voiced no further words.

She turned and left the restaurant, bumping into Adrien as she walked out the door.

"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise when he saw her. His mouth opened then closed again as he stared at her. Marinette was glad to see that he was okay. She guessed that he must have left with the other customers though she hadn't seen him among them. Maybe he'd been transformed by Shuichi's gender-swapping ability and she hadn't recognised him?

She pushed past him and headed for the alley. After a quick check to be sure that no one had followed her, she changed out of Ladybug's costume.

"Well done, Marinette," Tikki said, sounding pleased.

"Thanks, TIkki," Marinette said. The kwami flew back into Marinette's bag and she walked back into the restaurant.

Shuichi was now sitting at the table they had all previously occupied, his head in his hands. His long hair obscured his face. Yusuke and Kuwabara hovered over him.

"No harm, no foul," Yusuke was saying cheerfully. "Dude, you know we've all taken worse."

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed. "You've kicked my arse worse than that. Remember that whole tournament training thing? This was nothing."

"But I was in full control of myself then," Shuichi protested, raising his head. "This was entirely different. I am very sorry."

"If you apologise one more time, I'm gonna kick your arse," Yusuke declared.

"Yusuke!" Keiko said disapprovingly as she sat a tray of cups down on the table. "Leave him alone."

Yusuke raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. Just cut the guilt crap out, Kurama. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, then I guess it's mine." A guilty look passed across his face. "I shouldn't have made fun of you for looking like a girl."

"it's okay," Shuichi said. "I know you didn't mean it."

"No, it's not okay," Yusuke said earnestly. He pulled the chair out beside Shuichi and sat down. "Since it bothers you, I won't do it again."

Marinette joined the group, standing beside Adrien, who looked a little lost. It seemed that he hadn't been a part of the group for very long, like her, and wasn't really sure what to say.

To Marinette's surprise Shuichi looked up and met Adrien's eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Marinette frowned as Adrien's green eyes widened. "F-For what?" the blonde boy stammered. His expression looked panicked.

Shuichi smiled as though he knew a secret that no one else did. But he gave no answer, and Adrien ducked his head. He reached for the tray of cups and took one, draining half of the water in one go. He began to cough and Shuichi chuckled. Marinette was glad to see that his mood had improved, even if she wasn't quite sure why.

The door of the restaurant opened, the bell above it jangling, and Marinette turned to see Alya hurrying in, her phone in her hand.

"Uh-oh," Marinette said quietly.

Shuichi saw her too and his face drained of colour. "I don't feel well," he said hastily, standing up. He went to the bathroom, his friends giving his retreating back puzzled looks. Marinette started to laugh as Alya joined them.

"What happened?" she asked Marinette excitedly. "I heard there was an akuma. Did you see it?"

"Sure did!" Yusuke said with a laugh. "And those two superheroes showed up and defeated it."

Alya raised her phone to Yusuke. "Tell me all about it," she said eagerly. Grinning, Yusuke proceeded to do so, embellishing the story as he went. Marinette noticed with relief that he never mentioned that Shuichi had been the akuma. She knew that if Alya found out that Shuichi had been akumatised she would never stop hounding him. And Shuichi seemed like someone who valued his privacy highly.

Marinette glanced towards the bathrooms and was relieved to see Adrien entering the men's bathroom. She hoped that he would make Shuichi feel better.

-0-

Adrien entered the men's room to see Kurama staring at his face in the mirror. The faucet in front of him was turned on and the water running unobstructed into the drain. Adrien reached over and turned the water off. Kurama finally seemed to realise that he was there and turned his back to the mirror, leaning against the basin.

"Is everything okay?" Adrien asked.

Kurama smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine," he said. "Thank you for your concern. The experience was just a little... disconcerting."

"Did you learn anything about Hawkmoth?" Adrien asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," Kurama said. "I don't remember much from the experience."

"That's a shame," Adrien said. "If we knew who he was, we could end this before anyone gets seriously hurt."

Plagg flew out of Adrien's pocket and hovered in front of them.

"If only it were that easy," he said. "Hawkmoth has a Miraculous, as well. He won't be easy to take down, even if you do discover his identity. Now, do you think there's cheese on that menu?" He looked hopefully at Adrien.

Adrien glared at him. "Do you only think about your stomach?" he demanded, irritated with the cat kwami.

Plagg huffed. "I'll have you know that using my powers is exhausting. I need nutrition," he informed Adrien snootily.

Shuichi smiled. "I am quite hungry, myself," he said. "Let's go and join the others."

"Okay." Adrien followed him out of the bathroom. He saw that the newcomer was now completely distracted by Yusuke and Kuwabara, who appeared to be recounting the events rather dramatically. Keiko had disappeared. Kurama did not return to the table. Instead, he made his way behind the counter and into the kitchen where Keiko was cooking their meals. Adrien followed and offered her his help, as did Kurama.

Adrien had never had to cook for himself before and the experience was enlightening for him. He managed to slip Plagg a few cubes of cheese without Keiko spotting him, though from the amused curl of Kurama's lips, Adrien knew that the sharp-eyed teenager had noticed his thievery.

When Keiko, Kurama and Adrien brought out the food, everyone dug in eagerly. The mood was now a cheerful one, Adrien was glad to see. Kurama was relaxed and joking with his friends. Alya seemed satisfied with the information she had already gleaned from them and did not mention the superheroes again. Despite the akuma attack, Adrien decided that it had been a good day, overall. Though his thoughts turned to Ladybug as he listened to his friends' chatter. She had shown up awfully quickly. She must have already been in the area.

Adrien shook his head to clear it as Alya suddenly squealed in surprise. She stared at Adrien, open-mouthed.

"Oh, my God. I just realised," she said excitedly. "You're Adrien Agreste, the French model, right? Your dad's Gabriel Agreste, the fashion designer."

Marinette's hand flew to her mouth, her blue eyes wide. "That's why you look familiar," she blurted. "I love your father's work."

Adrien paled, running a hand through his hair awkwardly as Yusuke burst out laughing.

"You're a model?" he asked. "Can you introduce me to some hot chicks?"

"Yusuke!" Keiko yelled. The sound of her hand connecting with his cheek echoed in the room. Kuwabara began to laugh and Kurama's hand came up to cover an amused grin. Adrien felt himself relax. This wasn't so bad, he decided. So what if they knew he was a model? It wasn't as big a secret as being a superhero.

-0-

"Oh, Kurama! There you are!"

Kurama turned around at the familiar chipper voice, wishing that it's owner had been just a little more discreet. He was on his way home from the restaurant, and while the street he was walking down was quiet, he didn't appreciate his demon name being shouted out so loudly. Especially not when he was so close to home.

"Botan," he said when the blue-haired ferry girl reached him. Today she wore her traditional pink kimono. She looked very out of place in the suburban street. "How may I help you?" he asked.

"Koenma wants to see you," she told him. "You need to come with me."

Frowning, Kurama said, "All right."

-0-

Koenma was in his teenage form and looking sober as Botan led Kurama into his office. His desk was littered with paperwork but the prince seemed to be ignoring it for the time being.

"Ah, Kurama. Thank you for coming," he said. Kurama stood in front of his desk, back straight and hands clasped behind him.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I understand you've had a very interesting day," Koenma said, regarding him thoughtfully.

"Yes," Kurama said shortly, aware that the prince of Spirit World had likely witnessed the events with his all-seeing technology.

"A word of caution, Kurama," Koenma said. "I understand that you were not in control of yourself today but you used your yukai to attack a human."

Kurama paled. He had not even considered that Spirit World might hold him responsible and accountable for his actions while under Hawkmoth's control. For a demon, even a demon living in a human body, harming or killing a human was a very serious crime according to Spirit World law.

Koenma paused, allowing Kurama to absorb the gravity of his situation. "In light of your service to Spirit World, we've decided to overlook this incident. But I think you should warn Yusuke and Hiei that they should use extreme care when dealing with these attacks. If it weren't for Ladybug and Chat Noir, you may have seriously injured or killed innocent people today."

Kurama frowned, now annoyed with Koenma. He knew that perfectly well, and didn't need anyone to point it out to him. "I am aware of that," he said tightly. He chose not to point out how unfair he felt that Spirit World's harsh rules regarding demons were. It had always proven futile in the past.

"Good," Koenma said, his voice stern. "You can go now."

Kurama turned and left the office. Botan waited outside for him. Her attitude was cheerful as she escorted Kurama back to Human World. Her mood didn't mesh with Kurama's solemn mood at all. If she noticed, she didn't show it. Or perhaps she did notice and was trying to cheer him up.

As they stood on the street outside Kurama's home he asked, "Have you found anything in the Spirit World archives yet?"

Botan, who had just been about to depart on her oar, hovered in the air in front of him. "I'm still looking," she said. "But I'm sure I'll find something soon."

"Thank you, Botan," Kurama said, earning himself a sunny smile.

"You're so nice, Kurama," she told him. "Lord Koenma never thanks me for my work. He's such a grouchy boss."

Kurama watched her depart, disappearing into the darkening sky. He turned and walked up the path between his neat garden beds and to his front door. Things were certainly getting complicated, he decided.


	3. Chapter 3: Clowning Around

Botan smiled triumphantly at her boss as she lowered the massive file stuffed to the point of overflowing with papers onto his desk. It made an ominous sounding thud as it landed.

"T-this-" Koenma started, his voice coming out in an undignified high pitch as he stared at the file. He cleared his throat and tried to sound more like the ruler of Spirit World should sound. "This is everything?" he asked.

Botan's happy smile remained in place as she said, "No. There's another two files but I couldn't carry them all at the same time. They're too heavy for a wee slip of a thing like me."

Koenma had a strong urge to bang his head on his desk. "You don't say," he muttered darkly.

"Sir?" Botan asked, peering over the file to look down at him.

"I… didn't realise we had this much information on the subject," Koenma admitted.

"I was very thorough," Botan said proudly.

"I can see that," Koenma grumbled. He wished she had been just a little less thorough. "Are there summary notes?" he asked hopefully.

Botan shook her head. "No, sir," she said. "I thought that you could read through this one first and then I'd get the next one for you."

Horror flooded Koenma. He hated paperwork. It was the bane of his very long existence.

"That will be… fine," he managed to get out. "On your way out, send Jorge in."

"Of course, sir." Botan gave him a cheery wave as she left the room, blue ponytail swinging behind her.

Koenma had absolutely no intention of going through the files himself. He'd have Jorge do it. Or maybe he'd bribe Kurama into it. Kurama loved that sort of thing. He'd probably enjoy it.

-0-

Kurama was currently standing in line with Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Adrien, Marinette and, surprisingly, Hiei as they waited to buy tickets to enter the circus.

Kurama wasn't clear on exactly how Hiei had come to accompany them but he suspected that Yusuke had bribed the fire demon somehow. He'd just shown up along with Keiko and Yusuke and no one had given any explanation as to why.

The day was hot and Kurama had the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up. Hiei though, still wore his usual tattered black cloak. He was receiving strange looks from the people around them. Kurama had no idea how he wasn't cooking under all that cloth.

Apparently, Marinette was wondering the same thing because she leaned over to Kurama to whisper, "Is he really okay wearing that?" She gestured to Hiei, trying to be discreet.

Hiei's red eyes moved to her and she gulped, realising that she'd been caught.

"He's fine," Kurama assured her. "I'm sure he'll take the cloak off if it becomes unbearable."

"I just don't understand it," Marinette muttered. "He must be sweltering." She plucked at the fabric of her own light sundress. "Even this is too hot," she grumbled.

"Yes, the weather is quite unseasonable," Kurama agreed. He wished he'd chosen to wear shorts and a t-shirt instead but it was too late to change now. "I think we may even get a storm this evening," he predicted.

"God, I hope so," Marinette groaned.

The group stood in the sweltering heat for another half hour before they were able to purchase their tickets and enter the circus. The place was crowded with people, the press of the bodies doing nothing to alleviate the heat.

Yusuke and Keiko split off from the rest of the group as Keiko dragged Yusuke to the ferris wheel, Yusuke protesting loudly the entire time.

Adrien was staring around himself with wide green eyes, looking stunned.

"You okay, man?" Kuwabara asked him. "You look like you've never seen a circus before."

Adrien coughed awkwardly. "Actually, I haven't," he admitted, cheeks turning pink.

"Are you serious?" Kuwabara asked incredulously. "You never went when you were a kid? Or do they not have circuses in France?"

Adrien laughed. "They have them," he said. "But my father never let me go."

"Bummer," Kuwabara told him. "You're gonna have a great time."

"Speaking of someone who's never been to a circus…" Kurama murmured, his eyes sliding over to Hiei, who was standing a short distance away from the group, his shoulders slouched and his red eyes glowering at the people who passed him.

"Hiei?" Marinette asked in surprise, following Kurama's gaze.

Kurama smiled. "Yes. This ought to be quite an interesting day," he said.

He had no idea how right he was.

-0-

After taking Keiko on the ferris wheel, Yusuke rejoined them. He and Kuwabara promptly teamed up to kidnap Hiei and take him to the Haunted House.

"Would you like to go with them?" Kurama asked Adrien as the blonde watched them leave.

"No," he said. "Actually, I wanted to try some of the games."

"That sounds fun," Marinette said eagerly.

"Let's go, then," Kurama said decisively.

-0-

"You should have told me how good you were at these games," Marinette grumbled. She was carrying a large white stuffed rabbit whose ears were as long as it was. Kurama had won it for her.

"You did pretty well," he assured her.

"Not as well as both of you," Marinette grumbled. She turned her blue eyes on their companion, whose face was hidden behind a large fluff of green fairy floss. "I thought you said you'd never been to a circus," she accused him.

"I haven't," Adrien said, lowering the fairy floss to give her a confused look.

"It's not fair," Marinette groaned.

Kurama chuckled. He hadn't been able to resist showing off his skill just a little. Adrien had done very well at the games as well.

"Just wait until you see Yusuke and Kuwabara attempt them," Kurama said with a grin. "They are very competitive. It's quite amusing."

Marinette's face lit up as she tried to imagine it. "I can't wait," she said.

-0-

The group reconvened for lunch and decided to go together to the central tent for the afternoon show. The place was packed when they entered and they weren't able to sit in the same row. Hiei and Kurama sat in the row above everyone else.

The tent was even hotter than outside. Kurama hoped the show wasn't long.

"Are you having fun, Hiei?" Kurama asked his friend as they waited for the show to start.

"Fun?" Hiei snorted. "It's torture," he complained. "That Haunted House was just pathetic."

"Mmm-hmm." Kurama smiled, reaching over to remove a spot of ice-cream from Hiei's chin with his finger. Hiei flinched back, glaring at Kurama.

Hiei was given no chance to retort because the ringmaster entered the ring and the show began.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hiei grumbled as they watched the acrobats. "There's no fighting. There's no blood."

"This isn't that kind of show," Kurama pointed out. "It would hardly be suitable for the children."

"Pointless human crap," Hiei mumbled.

Kurama was actually enjoying the show. His mother had taken him when he was younger but he knew that he hadn't fully appreciated the experience. In fact, he'd felt much the same way that Hiei did about it. That it was a pointless, ridiculous and frivolous waste of his time. He wondered if he could talk his mother into coming with him again, perhaps with his stepfather and stepbrother as well.

It was Marinette who noticed something wrong first. It was right when the acrobats were leaving the ring. The ringmaster was about to announce the next act when a clown wearing a black and white dotted costume walked into the ring. His face paint was half-white and half-black, bisecting his face.

Marinette nudged Keiko, who was sitting beside her and pointed at the clown. Keiko gave her a confused look and whispered, "It's got to be part of the show."

The ringmaster paused, obviously surprised by the clown's presence. He waved his arms at the clown, as if trying to shoo him away.

"I don't think so," Marinette whispered back. Yusuke, sitting beside Keiko, glanced at the two of them.

"What?" he hissed at them, leaning over.

Suddenly, the clown turned away from the ringmaster. He took something from his pocket. When he raised it to his mouth and blew into it, Kurama could see that it was a yellow balloon. The clown secured the end, trapping the air and then began to twist it in his hands. When he was done, the balloon was now in the shape of a gun.

People clapped, clearly not realising that something was off. Even Keiko still looked uncertain.

"Maybe this will be interesting after all," Hiei said, having adopted a casual pose, his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankle as he leaned back. Kurama gave him a disapproving look, which Hiei ignored.

Then the clown pointed the gun at the crowd. A white beam shot out of it, striking a woman in the first row. She screamed.

Whether it was because she was hurt or because she was merely frightened, Kurama didn't know. But it started a panic as people rose from their seats and began making for the exits.

Their group immediately huddled together, not wanting to get separated and not wanting to get caught up in the crush.

Yusuke held onto Keiko's arm. "You guys need to get out of here," he said, barely audible over the panicked screams from around them.

"But…" Adrien's eyes flicked to the clown still in the ring. "What about him?"

"Not your problem," Yusuke told him.

It was Adrien's problem (or rather, Chat Noir's problem) but Kurama chose to keep that fact to himself. Adrien had asked him not to tell anyone about his secret and he would keep that promise, so long as it didn't compromise his friends' safety.

Marinette looked panicked. Kurama knew what she was thinking. How could she transform into Ladybug when the area was so crowded?

But the crowd was thinning out as people flowed through the exits. Kurama had seen several get hit by the clown's gun and stumble as though shocked. But he'd been unable to determine if the gun had any real effect on them. There was no blood and they didn't appear injured. Merely surprised.

Marinette saw a clear path to the exit and stood, intending to take it.

"Marinette!" Kurama called, alarmed. He stood too, intending to pull her back down when he saw a beam of white light strike her. She stiffened, her eyes going wide. And then Kurama felt a curious sensation, a tingling in his side. And then his world lurched. Suddenly he was staring at himself, looking stunned.

"What?" he asked. He raised a hand to his throat. His voice sounded strange and feminine. Like Marinette's, he realised. Oh, no.

He looked down at himself, to see that he was wearing Marinette's dress. In fact, he was most certainly in Marinette's body. He looked up to catch the gaze of his own green eyes. It was eerily like staring into a mirror.

"Marinette?" he asked uncertainly.

"Shuichi?" he heard his own voice ask, sounding just as unsure.

"Yes," he said. "This is… quite awkward."

Marinette looked down at the body she now inhabited and her cheeks reddened. "Yeah," she said, her voice sounding strangled.

And it presented another problem, Kurama knew. If he was in Marinette's body, how could she change into Ladybug?

He looked around for Adrien, only to find him gone. He sighed in relief. Adrien had managed to slip away. hopefully Chat Noir would show up soon to keep the akumatised clown busy.

"You two okay?" Yusuke demanded. He was kneeling on his seat, back to the ring as he regarded both of them with narrowed eyes. "I saw you get hit, Kurama."

"Ah, actually-" Marinette started awkwardly.

"He's a little shaken up," Kurama said quickly. "I'll get him out of here."

Yusuke frowned. "But-"

Kurama grabbed Marinette's arm and started pulling her towards the exit. Yusuke stared at their retreating backs, confused.

"Well, that's weird," he muttered.

"Hey!" Kuwabara shouted. Yusuke turned just in time to see Kuwabara push Keiko out of the way of a beam, taking it himself.

"This is ridiculous," Hiei muttered. "I'll take care of this." He rose and started down to the ring, jumping from row to row. He dodged one of the clown's beams but the second one hit. Hiei fell, sprawling on the bottom row. The clown grinned maniacally at them. His laughter was sinister as he waved the balloon gun around in the air.

Kuwabara staggered, catching himself on the back of the seat beside him.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on here but this shit is weird," Yusuke snapped, hovering protectively over Keiko, who looked terrified.

"Yusuke?" Kuwabara asked. "How did I get back up here?"

Down below them Yusuke could see Hiei getting to his feet, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself.

"What do you mean? You've always been up here," Yusuke informed him.

"I.." Kuwabara raised a hand to his throat, his face twisted in confusion. Then he touched his forehead, a frown crossing his face. Then it morphed into a look of anger.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled, turning his gaze to Hiei, who was staring back up at them with wide crimson eyes.

"Will somebody please explain to me what the fuck is going on!?" Yusuke yelled.

A black blur leapt down the rows of seats and vaulted dramatically into the ring, displaying a surprising amount of agility. CHat Noir had made his grand entrance.

-0-

Marinette and Kurama stood out of sight of the others, in the darkness at the back of the tent behind the seats.

Marinette immediately reached for her bag, still on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama handed it to her and she began rummaging around in it. Then she glanced up, her face startled as if she'd just remembered that he was present.

"I, ah…" she said awkwardly. Kurama stared her down. He guessed that she wanted to consult with her creature, but had no intention of leaving her alone to do so.

"This problem involves myself as well," he pointed out.

She frowned, then looked back down into the bag. "Tikki?" She asked shyly.

The small spotted creature that Kurama had seen at the school floated out of Marinette's bag. Her eyes traveled from Marinette to Kurama, then back again.

"Oh, dear," the kwami said. "This isn't good. If you can't transform, Marinette, then the akuma can't be purified."

"Akuma? Purified?" Kurama asked curiously. Adrien hadn't fully explained the mechanics of the villains' transformations to him.

Tikki sighed, reluctant to answer Kurama's question. She gave Marinette a wide-eyed questioning look.

"Akumas are kind of like possessed butterflies," Marinette tried to explain. "They take over an innocent person and bring out their darkest nature."

"Marinette…" Tikki said reluctantly.

"He's not even surprised to see you," Marinette countered. "He knew I was Ladybug. And he's right. This does involve him. Maybe I can't transform since I'm not in my own body but maybe he can."

Tikki's eyes widened. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "That might work."

"What do I do?" Kurama asked.

-0-

Adrien was having trouble avoiding the clown's laser beams. The balloon gun didn't seem to have a recharge time so the shots being fired at him were continuous. He dodged through the seats, doing his best to keep the clown's fire away from his friends.

He was stunned to see Yusuke and Hiei running towards him.

"Three targets are better than one, huh, kitty?" Yusuke asked him when he came to a halt beside Adrien.

"Sure thing," Adrien said, smiling with relief. "Just be careful, okay? Hopefully my lady will show up soon and we can resolve this."

They split up and ran in different directions. Each of them yelled taunts at the clown to draw his attention and give the others a chance to catch their breaths. Adrien was surprised that Hiei was helping them, as the short boy had been stand-offish and rude throughout the entire day but he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He'd take any help he could get.

When Ladybug stepped into view, moving towards the clown, Adrien was relieved. She'd chosen to come up from behind the clown, who seemed to be becoming extremely angered by the group's taunts. In fact, he seemed to be unreasonably angered by their taunts. Adrien wondered if that had something to do with the reason for his transformation.

Yusuke had paused, obviously catching sight of Ladybug.

Adrien immediately yelled out, "Hey, Big Nose! Your hair looks like you stuck your finger in an electric socket!"

The clown spun towards him. Yusuke joined the taunting, realising that Adrien was attempting to distract the clown from Ladybug's approach, and he'd almost blown it for them.

Ladybug reached the clown and made a grab for the balloon gun. She was only partially successful as the clown saw her coming at the last second and twisted away from her. But she did manage to knock it from his hand.

The clown tried to retrieve his balloon gun but Ladybug used her body to block him. She said something to him, hands raised defensively in front of her.

What the hell was she doing?, Adrien wondered. She needed to find the akuma, not have a chit-chat with the villain. Negotiation with the akumatised victims had proved fruitless so far.

Adrien cautiously began to approach the ring. From the corner of his eye, he could see Yusuke and Hiei doing the same, their postures wary. The clown wasn't laughing anymore. Now he was sneering at Ladybug, whose frown indicated that she wasn't happy with his response, if she'd even gotten one in the first place. The clown tried to duck around her again.

Finally, much to Adrien's relief, she took action. She punched the clown in the face. The clown staggered back, his red nose falling onto the ground as blood spurted from his own nose.

Adrien gaped. That was an uncharacteristic move from Ladybug. She wasn't even trying her usual tricks with the yo-yo.

Ladybug stomped on the nose. A butterfly flew out of it and Ladybug finally used her yo-yo to purify it.

Yusuke, Hiei and Adrien made their way over to her. The clown, still wearing his clown suit, though his face paint was white now, was sitting on the ground and holding his nose.

Ladybug looked at them.

"How did you know it was in his nose?" Adrien asked her curiously.

"It was a lucky guess," she said. "If it hadn't worked, I would have tried something else."

There was something odd about her expression and the tone of her voice, but Adrien decided to let it go. He was just glad that she'd shown up finally.

"Glad you were able to make it to the party," he said. "Though next time, perhaps a little less clowning around?"

Ladybug's lips twitched. Yusuke snickered.

"That was awesome!" Hiei said. Yusuke started to laugh.

"What?" Hiei asked him, looking up at Yusuke with a confused frown.

"That's just.. weird," Yusuke chortled.

"Hey, shut up, man," Hiei protested.

Adrien and Ladybug shared a look.

"Time to go, I think," Ladybug said.

"Definitely," Adrien agreed. "See you around."

Ladybug smiled. There was something familiar about it, though it was not like Ladybug's usual smile. It seemed too secretive, not open and friendly like it usually was. This was definitely a weird day. He shook his head before turning and leaving. Ladybug went in the opposite direction.

-0-

Kurama found Marinette waiting for him where he'd left her.

"Shouldn't we have switched bodies again?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about the Miraculous Ladybug charm," Marinette sighed.

Kurama performed the charm. Being shunted back into his own body felt strange. The perspective shift was quite sudden and made him disorientated.

He looked up and saw Ladybug in front of him, her face scrunched up in discomfort.

"That feels so weird," she complained. She transformed back into herself.

"Well, it wasn't the cleanest of battles," Tikki grumbled, "But you did okay, Shuichi."

"Thank you for your assistance, Tikki," Kurama told her.

Tikki looked pleased to be thanked and her irritation with him fled.

"Oh, I'm always happy to help," she said. "But now I'm a little hungry."

Marinette laughed and held her bag open so Tikki could fly into it. "I think I saw a stall selling cakes earlier," she said.

"I'll gather the others and meet you there shortly," Kurama told her. "I doubt that the show will resume after this."

"Thanks, Shuichi," Marinette said. "You did a great job today."

Kurama flashed her a smile. "I'm always happy to help," he said, echoing Tikki's words from earlier.

She grinned at him before leaving to find the cake stall.

Kurama returned to the tent to find Yusuke teasing Kuwabara and Hiei. From the conversation he gathered that Hiei and Kuwabara had switched bodies, which explained why Hiei had been helping Chat Noir. It hadn't been Hiei at all. It had been Kuwabara.

Kurama tried to keep his amusement hidden as he came up beside Hiei.

"What was it like, being tall?" He asked mischievously.

Hiei glared up at him. "Not you, too," he snapped. "And where were you anyway? You and that girl just left and didn't come back."

"Oh, they were probably kissing in some dark corner," Yusuke said, his lips turned upward in a smirk.

Keiko glared at him. "You're having way too much fun, Yusuke," she accused. "People could have been hurt."

"Lighten up, Keiko. Everyone's okay," Yusuke said, patting her shoulder. She stepped away from him.

"Marinette has gone to get something to eat," Kurama said. "I told her that we would join her."

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Kuwabara said eagerly.

"Why? Are you worried another creepy clown is going to pop up?" Hiei sneered.

"Shut up," Kuwabara snapped. "You never even bothered to help, you little shit."

"It wasn't my problem," Hiei snapped back.

"It is probably best that Hiei didn't interfere," Kurama said solemnly.

"Huh?" A voice asked from behind them. The group turned to see Adrien standing there. "Why is that for the best?"

Keiko smiled in relief when she saw him. "I'm so glad you're okay, Adrien," she said. "I was worried that you got caught up in the crush."

He smiled at her but his eyes turned back to Kurama, still seeking an explanation.

"Never mind," Kurama sighed. "Let's go."

As they started to leave, Kurama made a quick detour to fetch Marinette's rabbit from where it had been discarded during the chaos. He passed it to Hiei.

"Carry this for me, please?" he said with a sweet smile.

Hiei glared up at him over the rabbit's fluffy white head. The rabbit was almost as tall as he was. Kurama hastily started walking away before Hiei could object.

-0-

The group caught up to Marinette just as the sky opened up, dumping a torrent of rain over the circus.

"Shit," Yusuke grumbled as they scrambled for cover. Other people were doing the same, making it difficult to move. "This whole day sucks."

"Yeah," Kuwabara said. "We never even got to see the full show. I wanted to see the lions."

"I think we should all go home," Kurama suggested.

"Yeah," Keiko said. "I don't think this rain will let up."

Hiei was already gone. After shoving Marinette's rabbit at Kurama, he'd vanished into the crowd. Off to find his own shelter, Kurama thought. He had no idea where Hiei slept or spent his time when he was in Human World.

"Yeah. Come on, Keiko," Yusuke said. "I'll take you back to the restaurant."

"You just want dinner," Keiko grumbled.

"Well, your parents' cooking is pretty good," Yusuke pointed out.

Marinette was pulling an umbrella from her bag, jostling Kurama as she did so, since he was pressed in beside her.

"How are you getting home?" Kurama asked her.

"I'm taking the bus," she said.

"And you?" he asked, looking at Adrien, who was on his other side.

The other boy stood with his hands in his pockets and frowning at the increasing downpour.

"I'm being picked up," he said. His gaze raked over them uncertainly. "Does anyone need a ride?" He asked.

"I will be fine," Kurama assured him.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Marinette said.

"But you're taking the bus," Kurama pointed out. "Surely it would be better if you went with Adrien."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed. "Come on, Marinette." He gave her a pleading look.

"All right," she agreed. She couldn't resist those eyes. Kurama passed her the rabbit as they said their goodbyes.

The two of them left together, under Marinette's umbrella. Kurama smiled as he watched them go.

"Hey," Yusuke said. "Why don't you guys come with us to the restaurant? You can have dinner and then go home."

Kuwabara and Kurama exchanged looks.

"Oh, come on, just us," Yusuke said. "Let's hang out and chat about demon things. Like why it was better that Hiei not get involved in that fiasco." He gave Kurama a hard look.

Kurama realised that he wasn't getting out of this one. Well, if he was going to get interrogated, it might as well be over a delicious meal.

"Fine," he sighed in defeat.

Yusuke grinned triumphantly, slinging an arm over his shoulders.

"Great," he said.

Keiko gave Kurama a pitying look. Kuwabara gallantly held his umbrella over her head as they walked into the rain. Yusuke and Kurama ventured out under Kurama's umbrella.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with Marinette," Yusuke commented as they walked behind Kuwabara and Keiko down the sidewalk. "Something you wanna tell your best buddy or what?" He stared at Kurama with one dark eyebrow raised.

"Or what," Kurama said, giving him a green-eyed glare.

"Oh, come on," Yusuke whined. "In the time I've known you, you've never had a girlfriend."

"I still don't," Kurama informed him.

"But-"

"Do you want to walk back to the restaurant without an umbrella?" Kurama asked sweetly.

Yusuke quickly backtracked. "Okay, okay, man. No need to get nasty," he said. "Keep your secret."

"Thank you," Kurama said smugly.

-0-

Adrien and Marinette sat awkwardly in silence in the backseat of Adrien's limo. Nathalie sat to Adrien's left, working on her tablet and ignoring the teenagers. Marinette's stuffed white rabbit sat on the floor at her feet.

"This is… a nice car," Marinette said lamely.

"Ah, yeah," Adrien said. "It's my father's." Well, of course it is, moron, he thought, irritated with himself. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed all of a sudden. Maybe because he was alone with a girl. Well, not alone exactly, since Nathalie was present, but close enough since Nathalie wasn't paying attention to them.

Marinette smiled. "You're pretty lucky," she said.

"Yeah," Adrien agreed.

The car pulled up outside Marinette's family's bakery and Adrien walked her to the door, ignoring her protests for him to stay in the warm, dry car. The smells coming from inside teased his nose and he gave the building a longing look.

Marinette saw the look and a warm smile crossed her face. "Come on," she said, taking his arm. "Come inside. I'm sure your … chauffeur, is that the word? … can wait a minute."

Adrien found himself being tugged into the warm shop. His eyes widened at the sight of all the treats on display. The shop was full of mostly young people, he noticed. Grabbing something before they headed home, he guessed.

Marinette dragged Adrien to the counter and greeted the dark haired woman behind it. "Hey, Mum," she said. "Can you pack some cakes up for Adrien?" She sat her rabbit on the counter.

Her mother gave Adrien a once-over that made him squirm. She must have approved of whatever she saw because she smiled.

"Of course, honey," she said. "Do you have a preference, Adrien?"

"Ah…" Adrien stared at the racks, feeling lost and not knowing what to say. His father had never really allowed him sweets as a child. The sheer variety of colours was dazzling.

"A bit of everything," Marinette's mother said, smiling kindly at him.

Minutes later, Adrien exited the shop carrying a cardboard box with a decent sampling of cakes. His mouth was watering at the thought of eating them tonight.

Nathalie eyed the box with a frown as Adrien got back into the car. Adrien gave her a pleading look.

"I promise I won't eat them all at once," he said hopefully. "Dad won't even know."

Nathalie sighed. "All right," she said. "But wait until after your dinner."

"Yes, Nathalie," Adrien said, relieved that he would be able to keep the cakes. He stared out the window at the rain pelting the ground. Marinette's bakery had been so warm and homely and her mother had been so nice. He bet that she never had to ask permission for something so stupid like eating a cake. Maybe she was really the lucky one.

-0-

Adrien fled inside the house, not waiting for Nathalie or his bodyguard. He clutched the box protectively to his chest. As he made it to the shelter of the entryway, he sighed in relief. Water pooled on the floor around his feet as he anxiously checked the cakes to be sure they were unharmed.

"Adrien."

Adrien froze, raising his head to see his father standing a few metres away from him. He wore a frown on his aristocratic face. Beside him stood another man. He was Japanese and wore a tailored business suit. He was regarding Adrien with an impassive look. Something about him seemed wrong. Maybe it was his stiff posture, or the cold look in his eyes. It gave Adrien the impression that he wasn't quite human.

Adrien's father's eyes trailed down to rest on the puddle forming at his feet, then up to the box in Adrien's hands.

"Ah," Adrien said awkwardly, hoping that he wouldn't have to explain about the cakes.

"Did you have fun at the circus with your friends?" his father asked, surprising Adrien. His tone was awkward. Those sort of questions were rare for him.

"Yes, I did," Adrien said. "thank you for letting me go."

His father gave an absent nod. "Go and get yourself cleaned up," he said. "You're dripping water all over the floor."

"Yes, father." Adrien walked towards the stairs, edging between the two men as he did so. He could practically feel the stranger's eyes boring into his back as he made his way up the stairs. He didn't feel entirely safe until he'd entered his room and closed the door firmly behind him.

What the hell was that about?, he wondered as he rested his back against the door.

-0-

Kurama stared at Yusuke's scowling face as he swallowed his mouthful of ramen.

"Spill, fox," Yusuke said. "What were you going to say before Adrien showed up?"

Kurama sighed. "It's not a big deal," he said. "I had a meeting with Koenma a few days ago-"

"That brat's involved in this?" Yusuke demanded. "What the hell does he want?"

"Yusuke, calm down," Kurama said. "He just wanted to warn me. Since these akumas are technically human, as demons we must be very careful about how we deal with them. If we cause them harm using our demonic energy, we may be held liable by Spirit World."

"What a load of shit!" Yusuke exclaimed. "I mean, it's not like I want to hurt anyone or anything, but what if one of those guys turns out to be so powerful that just punching them won't work? If we have to hold back-"

"I know, Yusuke," Kurama said, cutting off his rant. "It's not fair. But those are the laws and we must respect them."

Yusuke sank down in his seat, frowning. "Well, that's going to make things difficult," he said. "You'd better warn Hiei. If he decides to get involved, he definitely won't hold back."

"I know," Kurama agreed. "But first I have to find him."

"I thought you guys were buddy-buddy?" Yusuke asked. "Doesn't he visit you?"

"Occasionally," Kurama said. "But where he spends the rest of his time, I don't know."

"Spying on Yukina," Yusuke said knowingly.

"Who is spying on my darling Yukina?" Kuwabara's booming voice filled the restaurant as he placed both hands on the table and glared down at them. His orange hair was damp and flat as he'd just been for a shower. He'd borrowed a spare set of clothes from Keiko's father. Kurama had declined the offer of a shower, knowing that he was too lean to fit into Mr. Yukimura's clothes.

"Ah, no one," Yusuke said hastily. He gave Kurama a panicked look.

"But you said-" Kuwabara started.

"Spirit World is probably spying on Yukina," Kurama said. Not his best lie, but he was on the spot.

"Why?" Kuwabara asked curiously. "Yukina hasn't done anything."

"They spy on everyone," Yusuke said, playing along with Kurama's story.

"That's true," Kuwabara agreed. "Koenma's got that TV thing. He's always using it to spy on us during missions."

Kurama gave a relieved sigh as Keiko arrived with Kuwabara's dinner. She then left to continue helping her parents.

"Look what I won at the Ring Toss," Yusuke said. He pulled out a keyring from his jacket pocket.

"That's it?" Kuwabara asked, as Yusuke tossed it to Kurama. "Pathetic."

Kurama looked over the keyring. It was a fox, sitting with it's tail wrapped around it's legs.

He looked up at Yusuke, lips curling upward in amusement.

"Thought of you," Yusuke said, shrugging. "I found one for you, too, dumbass," he added, reaching into his pocket again and tossing another keyring at Kuwabara. Kuwabara caught it and examined it.

"Hey," he grumbled.

Kurama held out his hand and Kuwabara handed it to him. Kurama chuckled when he saw it. It was a pig.

"Thought there was a resemblance," Yusuke joked. Kuwabara glared at him.

"You're such an arsehole," he grumbled.

Kurama handed it back and Kuwabara shoved it back to Yusuke.

"Keep it," he said. "I don't want it."

"Oh, come on, man. Don't be like that…"

Kurama leaned back and listened to the two boys argue. He'd been so busy with school that it was nice to relax with his friends and not have to worry about keeping up appearances. He could be himself with these boys.

He wondered how Adrien and Marinette fared. He'd found it amusing to set them up together. They had more in common than they knew. How long would it take for them to learn each other's identities? Would they ever learn the other's secret?

"Hey, Kurama. Earth to Kurama…" Yusuke waved his hand in Kurama's face. "You're spacing," Yusuke informed him as Kurama blinked at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "What were you talking about?"

"Goblin Quest. That new game. Have you seen it?" Yusuke demanded.

"I've heard of it," Kurama said. Yusuke's eyes were shining with excitement, as were Kuwabara's.

"We're going to the arcade tomorrow to try it. Wanna come with?" Yusuke asked.

Kurama's heart sank. "I'm afraid I can't," he answered. "i have homework I need to finish."

"Ah, that sucks," Yusuke groaned.

"Try it out and tell me about it," Kurama suggested.

"Sure thing, man," Kuwabara said. "i'm gonna kick Yusuke's arse."

"No, you're not," Yusuke protested. "I'm the king of games."

"You mean the king of lame," Kuwabara countered.

Kurama filtered the two boys out again as he finished off the rest of his meal. Their trip to the circus might not have gone well but at least the day had ended on a positive note.

After dinner he excused himself to ring his mother. His stepfather volunteered to pick him up and take Kuwabara home as well. Keiko packed some ramen for both of them to take home.

He lay on his bed that evening, listening to the rain still pounding the roof. His thoughts turned to the mysterious figure behind the akuma attacks. Hawk Moth.

As Ladybug, he'd attempted to ask the clown about Hawk Moth but all the clown had done was laugh and scowl at him. It had been very frustrating.

What could his goal possibly be? He wanted the Miraculous. But for what? Was it just a power-grab? Or was there more to it? And how many Miraculous were there? Were there more than the ones he'd already encountered?

Some of those answers were probably hidden in Spirit World's dusty files. He'd have to wait until Botan contacted him again before he could begin theorising.


End file.
